A federal investigation has emerged surrounding a staffing firm termed Prosperity Services, which operates a complex van transportation network that supplies low-cost Haitian labor to Fourth Street Foods, a food packing company based in Charleroi, Pennsylvania. According to reports from Action News, Prosperity Services has been under scrutiny for its practices of employing and housing undocumented workers through cash payments. Fourth Street Foods, which employs around 700 immigrants from various countries, predominantly Haitians, utilizes these workers in their food assembly plants, especially for breakfast items and sandwiches meant for major retailers.
The investigation took a significant turn when federal authorities seized nearly $1 million in cash from Prosperity Services and two associates earlier this year. The increasing number of undocumented migrants working in Charleroi has raised concerns among local communities about the implications of relying on such staffing firms and the conditions under which these workers are employed. Notably, it has been reported that around 90% of the workforce at Fourth Street Foods now consists of Haitian laborers, a dramatic change in a town with a population of just 4,000.
Fourth Street Foods itself indicates that the influx of Haitian workers is tied to their reliance on immigrant labor, which they claim constitutes about 70% of their workforce. Chris Scott, the company’s CEO, notes that the firm offers these temporary positions at around $12 per hour, while billing the staffing agencies over $16 per hour to cover costs, including housing and transportation. This raises questions regarding wage distribution and the benefits received by the laborers versus the profits accumulated by the staffing firms and Fourth Street Foods.
The operation in Charleroi hinges on multiple staffing agencies, including Wellington Staffing Agency, Celebes Staffing Services, and Advantage Staffing Agency, which serve as intermediaries in providing labor. These companies do not have a significant digital presence and do not appear in typical job listings, suggesting a lack of transparency in their operations. While the hiring process at Fourth Street Foods relies on these agencies, Scott has withheld specific information regarding which agencies are responsible for this labor supply citing nondisclosure agreements.
Critically, the relationship between Fourth Street Foods and the staffing agencies has raised concerns of exploitation, especially in light of David Barbe, the firm’s owner. Many of his business interests seem to profit from the arrangement, as he owns several properties in the area used for housing workers. Despite the significant demographic shift in the town attributed to this labor influx, Barbe expressed a lack of knowledge regarding the operations of Prosperity Services, which some find suspicious given the scale of the situation.
Beyond the immediate implications in Charleroi, this scenario is indicative of broader issues at play across the United States. The opening of borders and the influx of undocumented migrants are noted as contributing factors to job losses among native-born workers. Since October 2019, approximately 1.4 million jobs have been lost by U.S. workers, while foreign-born workers have gained three million jobs, fueling a narrative that local industries are increasingly favoring migrant labor over native labor. This trend is seen as part of a larger agenda that prioritizes corporate profits at the expense of blue-collar American workers. As the system unfolds, questions about immigration policy, labor rights, and community impact continue to grow in urgency.